Civilized

The mother of a very young son wants to raise him as a "civilized" human being:

Unfortunately, “civilized” has become a dirty word. It’s politically incorrect. To identify something or someone as civilized implies that some people and things are uncivilized, and therefore bad. But if the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that there are bad people and bad cultures. They’ve all either refused to abide by the norms of merit and moral responsibility that uphold our civilization or proven incompatible with them. If I want to raise my son well, I must provide him with moral tools so that he doesn’t become uncivilized, too.

Civilization on the societal level begins in the home. It’s where my son will learn to say “please” and “thank you” and where he’ll first learn the word “no.” At home, we’ll show him unconditional love and teach him the difference between right and wrong. It’s the first place where he’ll learn to respect authority and the rule of law. If my son isn’t raised to recognize authority at home, he won’t recognize it in the public square and will likely subvert it. Civilization decays when the rule of law is disregarded. ....

Raising and sustaining a civilized child means teaching gratitude. Gratitude for the Herculean achievements of those who bequeathed the Western tradition they’ve been blessed to inherit. Gratitude for the profound books they read, debate and live by. Through the words of great men and women, our children inherit ideas. Through ideas, they’ll build upon our civilization.

I also hope to raise my son with a good sense of humor. .... (more)

Sarah Baird, "I’ll Teach My Son to Be Civilized," The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 6, 2026.